Possible Facebook 'HTC first' phone press render leaked

updated 07:06 pm EDT, Tue April 2, 2013

by MacNN Staff

New device design previously seen as HTC Myst, Opera, Buffy

Days before a scheduled Facebook event, a render of a new Facebook-centric phone has appeared. The HTC First, previously known by other names, seems to have been repurposed for the device. While no solid specifications exist, the handset will likely feature a home screen replacement called Facebook Home, and little in the way of hardware changes from other devices.

Rumored specs include a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM 8960 processor, and 1GB of RAM. A pair of cameras adorn the device, with a 5MP rear-mounted shooter, and a 1.6MP front-facing camera. The screen is expected to be a midrange 4.3-inch 720P display. The HTC First is expected to run a forked version of Android 4.1.2 at its core.

Earlier this month, Facebook expanded its Voice over IP (VoIP) offering to users in the United Kingdom, after a successful launch in the United States and Canada. The service, appearing through the Facebook Messenger app on both Android and iOS, provides free calls between Facebook users, and seems to be a natural application to use on a Facebook-focused device.

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